No-one really knows what makes some people happy and some people not so.

Researchers are trying to forensically examine the factors that can lead the way to contentment.

A team at the University of Liverpool has joined forces with the BBC’s science department to write a quiz called the ‘Secrets of Happiness’.

The answers from the tests will be kept anonymous and will help inform important psychology research led by the university’s professor of clinical psychology, Peter Kinderman, reports the Liverpool Echo .

Once the questionnaire is completed, participants will receive an immediate rating of the current state of their mental health. The rating focuses on three factors: your mental health and well being, your friends, family and social activities, and how you deal with life’s ups and downs.

Prof Kinderman says there are five things people can do to improve their mental health. These include staying physically active by taking exercise or going for a walk, maintaining good relationships with family and friends, and staying mentally active by reading or taking a course.

Other suggestions include giving some of your time to a good cause and to engage and be mindful about the world rather than just passively passing through it.